The Jason and Shelly Turpin Family: Our Week

Monday: Doctor for Bella, ER for Bella

Bella saw GI on Monday. We are starting to intensely work on feeding! So exciting! Then as I was leaving TCH, her G button popped out for the millionth time (been happening a lot lately). I looked and realized the balloon (the part that holds it in) has busted. Two thoughts go through my head: 1. I’m here. I could go down to the ER and get it replaced. 2. I have one at home. I can use that one. I listen to thought two and come home. That is when I learned that for some crazy reason I had stored an empty box. I did not in fact have a spare button. Awesome! I taped her busted button in place. We went and picked up Jessi from school and decided to try out the hospital in the Woodlands rather than drive all the way back downtown. We made it home at 8PM with a new g-button. The kids had pizza for dinner.

Bella in Dr Barlow’s office Listening to Jessi’s music while waiting in the ER.

Tuesday: Social Security admin appointment for Brother, UIL for Becca, Zachary Ward was born!! We are so excited for Kris and Jacob! We can’t wait to meet him and love on him!

Dancing in the car Beautiful pansy

sweet Bubba comforting Bella

Music therapy

Feeding started in earnest! She no longer gets her 7AM feed, so after all night plus no 7AM feed, she should be good and hungry for breakfast. Tuesday was a great eating day! Breakfast – great! Lunch – great! Then feeds for 3 and 7PM. Way to go Bella!!

Story time with Daddy

Wednesday: Jason’s last day of work!!!! Activity Days and YW

So excited for Jason to wrap everything up and move on to his new adventure! He starts on Tuesday! Cute Brother!!

I found it fascinating to watch Brother explore this new toy. He tasted every surface. He listened to the sounds it made. Love this boy so much! Bella supervising.

Thursday: Lunch time dropped off Jason and Becca at the airport, harp lessons

Super Joy!!! Since he didn’t have to be anywhere, Jason picked up donuts for the girls for breakfast (and two kolaches for me)

Alex and Bella playing the piano Utensil work (also known as playing with play-doh)

Coloring pictures Joy displayed them on the door by herself

Friday: Piano, Fun night

I just think he’s so cute, even if he is covered in the food he’s trying to eat! :) Working in vision therapy. I found out about a two day workshop in June about active learning for children with visual impairments. I’m so excited to go!

I have all of his therapists and his VI teacher working on this – we have got to figure out how to get him comfortable in space. He panics so easily and he needs to start moving and exploring more than he is. Yes, I am pushing him. High (but realistic) expectations are good for everyone!

This chair is a great example. He panics sitting on that little stool. If he can stabilize on something, his right hand on the blue chair, he is content to play with the hammer. But if he bangs his hand on the chair and finds an edge, panic city. Notice this swinging picture. He is having a blast! But see his hands? They are hooked under the lip of the seat. He feels secure so he can have fun. We’ll work through it Brother! See the beautiful cross patterning? Love it!

In this series of pictures, his PT is shifting his weight to the right side (using her hands). He prefers to have most of his weight on his left side, so what does our smart boy do? Remove the offensive hand! He is so cute! We just laughed!

Bella’s turn: She doesn’t want to use her hands anymore. We insisted and had many, many tantrums. But her smile at the bottom of the slide was beautiful!

Lizzy has started to do more and more cooking. Love it!

Ice cream cones – yummy! Sammi had a friend over from church. We ordered pizza, bought soda, and rented movies. If Jason and Becca can play, so can we! :)

Someone caught me outside with Brother. Husky and Brother

Saturday: Single Parent Awareness Day, Art Festival

Sammi, Jessi, and Lizzy joined my sister Kathie, two of her kids, my Mom, and Mandy for the Art Festival in The Woodlands. They had a great time! Thanks for inviting them Mama! Thanks for the ride Kathie!

The treasures they brought home!

Meanwhile I had things that had to get done that day. Usually I have lots of helpers. The kids are great about stepping up to help with babysitting. I can send Jason or Becca to run errands. I am usually the central command sending off everyone. But not on Saturday. There was no one else. Just me and the three littles. So we went shopping. the four of us. insane. Joy loves to run off. Bella and Alex can’t walk. I can’t hold all three of them at the same time. It was fun, I tell ya. But we did it and I was reminded what a sweet deal I have going for me with a sweet husband who will do anything to make me happy, a 17 year old driver, and three that love to babysit. Single parents of little children have my respect!! It’s hard.

This box – ha! I find that I am buying some weird stuff. Anything to get Bella to eat. The girl loves to dip. OK. We’ll try fish sticks (ick, but if it’s a stepping stone, so be it). I showed her the box. I told her she could have one after we paid for it. OK. Let’s just say that unloading the cart onto the conveyer belt was a bit traumatic for me. A very full cart. Two tired kids, not yet crying. Me ready to be home. Joy wanting to run off in every direction. She helps me unload for a while, then loses interest. She wants to explore the buddy buck machine. She wants to bag groceries. She ends up on my hip. The older gentlemen behind me is just watching. Joy wants to put my hoodie up on my head (I can’t see). Joy wants me to wear my glasses. I get the cart unloaded. We have no bagger. This is taking forever. My smile is now completely fake. We get through. We decline any help to the car. Really? Joy is on my hip and the others are secure in the cart. All I have to do is get to the car and unload. I’ve got this. We get to the van and I start the seat belting process. That is when I see it. Bella had found the box of frozen fish sticks. With those tiny little fingers, she had worked it open and she was eating one. She was half way through! I didn’t know what to say, except to think that I had told her she could have one after we paid for them! :) Crazy, crazy girl!

To calm my nerves, we go outside. Ahhh…. (yes, Husky wanted attention and sat on Joy’s ipad)

Isn’t this fascinating? Our dwarf peach tree has FINALLY bloomed. We were starting to be afraid that it had died. And compare the blossoms. The first picture is from the beginning of the week. The second from the end of the week. The blossoms have gotten pinker as the week as progressed. Pretty cool!

We have been quoting this line around here: